


Custom of Fell Deeds

by oldwickedsongs



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Angst, BAMF Sarek (Star Trek), Gen, Going home by way of hell, Mirror Universe (Star Trek), Original Universe Gabriel Lorca Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:07:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24765151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oldwickedsongs/pseuds/oldwickedsongs
Summary: In the aftermath of Harlak, and the destruction of the Charon Sarek's world is in chaos. He looks for the only man that can help him: Gabriel Lorca, of the USS Buran. Mirror universe fic, a prequel to another project I'm working on. Please read and review.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	Custom of Fell Deeds

**Author's Note:**

> “Blood and destruction shall be so in use  
> And dreadful objects so familiar  
> That mothers shall but smile when they behold  
> Their infants quarter’d with the hands of war;  
> All pity choked with custom of fell deeds:”  
> \- Julius Caesar

**Prior’s World. Stardate: 2257. Terran Empire.**

They moved slowly through the underground tunnels like voles, clinging to the side of walls where small barely functioning heaters hummed and gave what little light they could through the inky black. Sarek reached for the rock, steadying himself against the cool granite and tried not to think about how the heat from the equipment against his cheek felt so much like the plasma fires of Harlak.

That had been four months ago. Four months since the massacre of Harlak, and the death of the Fire Wolf. Since Sarek had seen the Rebellion leadership crippled by almost forty percent in a little under three hours; followed by the incredible destruction of the _Charon_ herself and the supposed death of the Terran Emperor and their entire court.

Four months since the usual avenues of Terran promotions and accession had spilled into the fleet and a destabilized Empire proceeded to wreak havoc and genocide across the universe. Before, the Terrans had been like their symbol: a dagger piercing through a world, with exploitation and death refined to revenues that best served a effective but horrifying system.

Now the various warlords and Governors who had once pledge fealty to their fallen Rome were scattered, fighting amongst themselves like ambitious- or just greedy- animals. The Barbarians had not destroyed them as they might have feared, but they seemed determined to do it themselves.

And he, Sarek, was the only one who seemed to see the path that would end the slaughter. He didn’t care if Terrans died by the billion- he couldn’t afford to- but those hundreds, thousands of worlds under their heel could not perish too.

And for them- for his son who still served in the Imperial armies and his lover who ruled Vulcan as an Imperial Governor- he would **end** it.

“Prophet?” The voice, and arm on his back was Saya, an Andorian courier who worked for the Orions but had Rebellion sympathies. “We can turn back. There is no guarantee they even have him.”

A little ahead of them Sarek could make out that Emony Dax, had doubled back and had poised languidly with a hand on the hilt of her weapon. Her Terran uniform blended her into the rock but he knew she was eyeing Sayaton reproachfully. Sarek would have to remind her not to let her Terran masters influence her opinion of the Syndicate.

“He’s right you know.” She had doubled back, falling into step as his shadow. “Bailey only serves the highest bidder, or the strongest hand. This could be a trap. Are you sure about this?”

Sarek accepted her arm as a cane and answered honestly. “No.”

“Then why?” Emony continued. Saya had gone ahead as a door seemed to shimmer into existence and Romulans appeared in the entryway. Both hosts bowed as Sarek appeared, giving him a wide berth as he entered while also guiding Dax to a chair. He knew the Romulan respect for his role as Prophet was tangential on what happened within the new few hours.

“Because,” Sarek continued, reminding himself to steel himself. “With the loss of the Fire Wolf we are no longer a force for protection or rebellion. We need to survive.”

“And you think **_he_ **will help? If he is who the Orions say he is, who you hope he is, I don’t see how anything but his death would help us.”

“His public death would rally the outliers yes,” He conceded. “But more importantly, his return would stabilize the Empire.”

“And we want that why?”

“Because it is easier to destroy one target rather than the dozen we have now, an even easier than that to destroy a thing from within.”

Emony shifted but said nothing more. She wanted to believe in him, of course, like she had believed in the Fire Wolf but whereas Voq had fire, had war in mind Sarek was a different sort. He craved order before freedom; safety and seamless evolution over victory. Perhaps that is why he’d given his heart to Amanda those years ago, because he had thought he could heal the Empire from within rather then admit it was a cancer. She didn’t blame him; Dax had been the same a lifetime ago.

And he was right; the Rebellion was dying- slowly but still dying. They no longer had the network of spies and allies they had under the Fire Wolf. Yes, the Empire was also bleeding, it had given the Romulans the time and chance to shore up their defenses, but the truth was- it was more likely the Empire would recover before they did and when that happened…

Sarek stilled her mind with a soft touch against her arm as a door opposite the one they had entered opened, admitting two more individuals. The Romulan hosts pulled their rifles up and levelled it on the chest of the man being led by a Betazoid. Bailey bowed towards Sarek deeply as he entered but never loosened his grip on the prisoner’s arm.

The prisoner himself was tall for a human, dressed in the rags of what at once might have been a blue jumpsuit with faded gold against his sides. There was a black bag over his head, his arms were bound by his elbows in a painful position as well his wrists by an ominous humming device. He was humming along as Bailey shoved him into the chair.

“Last chance.” Emony joked, “We can shoot him and drop him in the Sol system.” She motioned to Saya to dim the lights.

“Don’t.” Sarek snapped, “remove the hood.”

Bailey obeyed. The prisoner bowed his head instinctively, shutting his eyes from the sudden assault before slowly blinking out the blindness. Then, he rose his head and faced Sarek without hesitation.

Gabriel Lorca looked gaunt from years in a cell, mostly bone and badly in need of a shave and haircut. He was jaundiced, with the vague shades of healing bruises peppered over the visible skin. But when he scanned the room, taking in each face in turn before settling his bright blue eyes on Sarek, Gabriel smiled. “Prophet.”

“Captain Lorca.”

The eyes never faltered, no ounce of recognition from the title. There was just a familiar human drawl that made Sarek think of those days in the Imperial court, long ago. “What brings you here?”

“I’ve secured your freedom.”

Lorca’s eyes flickered to Bailey, before doing his best pantomime of leaning back. His shoulder popped in a way that could be painful. “I like it here.”

“I’d like a moment alone with the Captain.” Emony started to object, but Saya exchanged a look with her, then the Romulans, and finally Bailey. She shifted in his place before following him out the door. “You too, Bailey.”

“Not a chance. He’s already killed four guards.”

Lorca smiled again, rocking his head back to tap the edge of the weapon aimed at his skull. “We’re close, Bailey and I, aren’t we?” He laughed at the growl and flinched when Bailey pushed the weapon against a hidden injury. 

“Leave us."

“Bye Bailey. See you soon.” Lorca blew a kiss at the retreating Betazoid. He smiled again at the Vulcan. “I’m impressed. I usually have two guards at me at any time.” Another toothy smile, dried blood and chipped teeth. “My reputation precedes me.”

“I know who you are.”

“Who doesn’t? I’m the right hand of the Emperor.” Lorca’s voice was smooth, playful with an edge of tiredness as if he had said this before as a litany, a practiced prayer or lie.

“No.” Sarek began again, eyes flicking to his own hand, gnarled by fire. “I know who you are. Captain Gabriel Lorca of the USS Discovery on behalf of the United Federation of Planets.”

Lorca’s expression was steady, glancing towards the door again and looking back to Sarek. It seemed to take forever for his voice to reach the Vulcan; a small airy thing. Another prayer. “...Ambassador?”

“I’m afraid not.”

His eyes hardened again, finding a corner of the wall to focus on. “General order one.”

“I am afraid I do not know that either.”

“No starship, or it’s crew, may interfere with the normal development of any alien life or society."

“Captain?”

“It means,” Gabriel continued, eyes never moving from his fixed point. Sarek wondered for a moment if this was for his benefit or Lorca’s own. “That because of that, I am Gabriel Lorca. The Right hand of the Emperor.”

“Yet you have made no attempt to escape or seek reunion with the Empire.” Sarek would have been impressed if he were human. Gabriel didn’t falter from his stubborn gaze. “If I may make a supposition? It is because you find the Terran Empire’s morals and objectives abhorrent. I believe you to be a man of peace, Captain Lorca of Discovery… a man of exploration, and-”

“Buran.”

Sarek’s brow arched.

The Terran, no…human, had fixed his gaze on the Vulcan and there was a wealth of something behind his eyes. Sarek could feel it from his place and he wondered how Lorca had contained it for as long as he had. He seemed to unearth words buried deep in his chest and pushed them forward, towards Sarek like an exposed grave. “My ship’s name is the Buran…I don’t know any Discovery.”

“They were here.”

“…who?”

“Your Federation. They were here. The ship’s name was Discovery.” Sarek rose from his chair then and made his way around the table to kneel against Lorca’s side. The prisoner jerked away for a moment, knowing what followed was obvious and perhaps Bailey had done similar or worst. It was the first time Sarek saw fear in his eyes but not for himself. Lorca was desperately trying to maintain …what?

He had no high ground, no command here. He was starving, broken and tortured. For what Sarek could piece together of Lorca’s time in their world, he hadn’t been free long enough to enjoy anything like the power his counterpart. So then what? “Allow me.”

“Do I have a choice?” Lorca snapped back; the fear carefully kept out of his voice. Sarek appreciated his determination even if he could not understand it.

His skin was warm to the touch, unlike the granite stone of the tunnels and Lorca tried to resist. He could feel it under his fingertips, through his senses. He thought Gabriel Lorca’s mind would be a tumultuous thing- and perhaps the Gabriel Lorca he had known would have been. But this man, the one struggling to bury any and all information about his home and mission..

…that’s what this Gabriel was trying to protect. His home.

So was he.

_“My mind to your mind…my thoughts to your thoughts.”_

* * *

Sarek awoke with Emony Dax holding his chest and a Romulan pushing a hypospray to his neck. He realized- belatedly- through the haze of his anguish and struggle to break free of them that one of the voices screaming was his own. He kept clawing at Dax, trying to look for Gabriel. He could see through the haze, that Bailey’s hand was trembling as he pushed his forehead to Lorca’s.

“Lexo…lexorin.” He demanded.

“I’ve administered it, Prophet.” The Romulan answered, moving for a dermal regenerator.

“No.” He tried again, trying to push Lorca’s voice from his voice and remind himself he didn’t know the uniform he longed for now, that the home another universe away was not his. “For…for him.”

He hesitated but obeyed, disappearing from his sight. Soon the room was silent, but for the quiet breathing and pounding of his skull.

Gabriel was pulled up from the floor, his eyes looking for Sarek’s like they were the center of his world. And they were, in a way. Now. “You…you know what you ask me.”

Sarek nodded.

“Alright.” He whispered, leaning against Bailey for support. Sarek understood now. On the Buran, Bailey had been his chief medical officer. What comfort and horror it must have been. But still, when Lorca met his eyes he saw none of it. “Let’s do it.”

**Author's Note:**

> "You don't know, Robert, you don't know. They took everything I was. They used me to kill and to destroy, and I couldn't stop them! I should have been able to stop them! I tried. I tried so hard. But I wasn't strong enough! I wasn't good enough! I should have been able to stop them. I should, I should."  
> \- Jean Luc Picard, "Family"


End file.
